Trunk



Jiihe 23, 1931. I 'HOFBAUER I I 1,811,718

v TRUNK Filed Jan. 13, 1928 F2371 If Patented'June 23, 1931 UNITED, STATES HANS HOFBAUELR, or MUNICH, GERMANY PA-TEN T flRUNK Application filed January 13, 1928, Serial No. 246,559, and in Germany August 12 1926.

The present invention has reference to lidded containers, especially trunks, and the object of the invention is to provide an airtight, dust and moisture proof joint between the body of the container, which hereinafter will be referred to simply as trunk, and its lid. The improved joint structure is especially applicable to auto-trunks which, strapped or otherwise secured to the outside of the automobile, are subjected to constant jarring and wrenching and are freely exposed to rain, snow, dust, mud, and the like, and for this reason must be hermetically sealed along the zone of juncture between trunk body and lid.

In order to make my invention readily understood I will now describe it in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a cross-section through the joint structure, and

Fig. 2 is a similar section through the hinge portion, with the lid in partly opened position.

According to the invention the two cooperating edges of the trunk body 1 and its lid 2 are respectively provided with the metal Weather strip members 3 and 4C of double U-shaped cross-section, the larger U-part of which is riveted or otherwise secured to the respective container edges. The smaller U- part presents legs or flanges 5 and 6 of unequal lengths, the respectively outer flange 5, the holding flange, being longer than the inner, the sealing, flange 6, and the comple- 1ljpental halves interengaging as shown in In the bottom of the channel formed between the flange 5 and its companion flange 6 is provided a compressible sealing or cushion strip 7 of rubber or other suitable material. This strip may be solid, or it may be of hollow construction, as at 7 in Fig. 2. It is, of course, understood that this weather strip structure extends clear around on all 'four sides of the trunk, the material of which latter may be wood, fibre board, composition,

metal, or other suitable material.

It has been shownthat a single weather strip arrangement in this art does not efiectively withstand thehard usageto which such trunks are exposed,but I have found that a sealing means presenting two opposed cushion strips, alternately acted upon by op posed structure members will retain its effectiveness under-the greatest operative strains betweenbody and lid. I r 1 Upon the lid being closed down ontothe body the several flanges interlock, presenting a four-tooth interengagement, asshown in Fig. 1. The shorter flanges 6 are pressed onto the respectively opposed compressible cushion strips 7, causing them to expand sidewise' to completely fill their seatchanne-ls against the entrance or passage therethrough of air or liquid, and even should such foreign substances work into the outer space of the first channel, they will effectively be stopped by the first, i. e. outermost, cushion strip, and at all events they will not seep beyond the second sealing strip intov the trunk interior. Should, after extended use, become defective, it can readily be replaced by a new one to keep the structure always in perfect operative condition.

The metal U-members preferably are set back so asto extend flush with the rear and front faces of the respective body and lid walls, so that the closed trunk presents plane inner and outer wall surfaces. The shorter flange is set back substantially the thickness of the complemental longer flange, so that the two metal Weatherstrip members in closed position present an uninterrupted plane inner and outer surface.

The inner flanges have been held relatively short for the purpose of allowing the joint members, along the hinge plane, to open and close without interfering with one another, as shown in Fig. 2, even when ordinary hinges 8 are used designed to keep the respective outer body and lid edges in close contact in all operative positions.

For locking and clamping the trunk member(sil any conventional lock or clasps may be use What I claim is 1. A joint structure of the character set forth for lidded containers, comprising counterpart double U-shaped members for rea cushion strip spective attachment to the body and lid members of the container, each such member comprising a body portion, a short flange extendlng from said body portion, and a relatively 5 longer flange extending from said body portion in substantial parallelism with said shorter flange and spaced therefrom, to form a channel between the two flanges, the shorter flange being set back from the outer plane of 1C the body portion to substantially an extent of the width of the longer flange, and a compressible sealing means in said channel, the two opposed joint members when in interlocking posit-ion forming a doubly sealed four-flanged interengagement.

2. A joint for trunks and like containers comprising two counterpart hinged joint forming members disposed edgewise with relation to each other and each having a long 20 flange and a short flange spaced to provide an intervening groove, the long flange of each member being adapted to overlap the short flange of the other member, and the short flange of each member being arranged to project into the groove of the other member When the members are in joint forming relation, and an elastic cushioning and seating strip in the groove of each member and adapted to be compressed therein by the short flange of the :0 other member, the said flanges of the members lying Wholly within the plane of the member and the members being coextensive in thickness so that their sides lie flush when the joint is closed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HANS HOFBAUE'R'. 

